Avery Barrel-Aged Series 4 - Dépuceleuse

Brewed by Avery Brewing Company
Style: Sour Ale/Wild Ale
Boulder, Colorado USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

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A steady pour produces a two-finger thick, amber tinged, tan colored head that has some staying power but doesn’t leave any lacing. The beer is a dark, concentrated purple-red color that shows a brilliantly clear, light cherry red to gold hue when held up to the light. The beer smells of light cherry notes as I am visually inspecting this beer, but an actual look at the aroma has me noticing a tartness, a buttery oak note, a woody fresh cut wood character, some rotting fruit / ripe cheese combination, a diluted cherry fruitiness that is subtly noticeable in the finish. As the beer warms touches of phenolics / medicinal notes become noticeable in the nose.

Dry, perhaps a hint of sweetness, but more tart than anything, with a firm oakiness in the finish, a touch of buttery oak and a lightly astringent woodiness. The lactic tartness combines with the buttery oak notes, and both influence the texture, to give this a lushness in the flavor as well. This definitely has a medium’ish body to it, though it is still quite drinkable. The malt character is quite subtle, there is some oxidized hints of toasted malt and caramel that have morphed into a nuttiness and perhaps a hint of dry sherry. The Brettanomyces character here is quite subtle. This tastes more winelike than anything; there are lots of berry notes along with the subtle cherry notes and the oak definitely helps evoke the thought of an oaky red wine, though this is more like a simplistic red and not a big, powerful, complex one.

Somehow this is awfully bland, the malt character especially is quite weak, and even the cherry notes seem washed out. There is nothing bad about this beer though, it is perfectly drinkable.

12 oz. bottle gifted to me by thebaldwizard for no good reason- thanks a ton, Joe! Dated 3/31/10. Pours a hazed tea color with no head at all. Aroma of sour cherries, oak, vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, and apples. Flavor of caramel, apples, oak, vanilla, tart cherries, plums, and brown sugar. Medium-bodied, with a funky, fruity, mildly tart mouthfeel and moderate carbonation. Good sour, probably a little better fresh, though.

Bottle, 12oz. A finger-thick off-white head forms over a clear, dark golden body. The aroma is lightly funky, with berries, cellar and a faint note of spices. Quite tender and pleasant. The flavor has berries, cellar and a little touch of caramel, dry and tart on the palate. Some vinegarish funkyness too, leading to a finish dominated by red berries. A quite nice one indeed, but not my favorite sour beer. 110930

12oz bottle, bottled March 31, 2010. Foamy tan head, noisily fades to clear dark red color. Sharp, more pronounced carbonation. Kind of dry texture, but it’s not the most smooth or drinkable thing. Sort of bitey, acidic texture. Satisfyingly sour, no lack of that, but of the small handful of sours I’ve tried so far, this isn’t the tastiest execution (although it’s certainly interesting). Cherry juice aroma underneath the sourness. Sour-funky brett aroma.. I preferred the Brabant to this much more, it’s honestly just to acidicly sour for me.

Bottle. Deep red amber colour with a beige head. Aroma is brett, sourness, berries, yeast. Flavour is brett, sourness, cellar, vanilla, cherries, yeast. Nice beer.

Bottle pours burnt red-amber with an off-white head. Aroma shows notes of cherry, oak, earthy funk, and a slight herbal quality. Flavor shows the same juicy acidity with underlying notes of vanilla and booze. Overall body is light to moderate, lightly sweet and finishes with moderate drying acidity.

A really good sour. Fulls of aroma’s and flavors of cherry, wood, grass. A nice sour finish. Well done.

Name: Depuceleuse
Date: October 05, 2010
Mode: Bottle
Source: Brusin Ales, Asheville NC
Appearance: cloudy dark red, wispy beige head
Aroma: tart fruity aroma, touch of oak, sour cherry, light earthyness
Flavor: rich malt flavor, well balanced tartness with the sweet fruityness, light earthy mustyness
Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+ /4

Date: December 10, 2011 Mode: Bottle Source: BVery Description: Dark orangish brown pour, sour fruit and brett in aroma, taste was similar, had a white wine type finish. I am not a big sour fan, but this was solid.

Bottle. Excellent sour. Dirty orange pour, minimal head. Nose is apple and cherry. Medium palate. Great taste of mild brett, very mild/controlled tart and sour elements, cherry, some wood, and grape. Really good beer, and very approachable for a sour.

Bottle. Pours a reddish-brown with a medium beige head. Funky aroma with notes of cherries, wood, brett and a hint of vanilla. Great flavor of cherry, vanilla, brett, oak and zin. Just slightly tart from the brett. Nice woody finish.